Golf club and golf club head with a crown recessed feature

Abstract

A golf club includes a shaft and a club head. The club head includes a ball striking face, a heel, a toe, a rear, and a crown. The crown may include a substantially horizontally-oriented forward crown region extending rearwardly from the ball striking face. The crown further may include a primary recessed feature located rearward of the forward crown region and extending from the heel to the toe of the club head. The recessed feature may have a floor and a front wall extending upward from the floor to the forward crown region. The crown may further include a substantially horizontally-oriented rearward crown region extending forwardly from the rear of the club head. The recessed feature may be located between the forward crown region and the rearward crown region. A back wall of the recessed feature may extend upward from the floor to the rearward crown region.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A golf club head for a metal wood type club, the club head comprising:
 a ball striking face, a heel, a toe, a rear, and a crown, 
 the crown including:
 a forward crown region extending rearwardly from the ball striking face; 
 a rearward crown region extending forwardly from the rear; 
 a primary recessed feature located between the forward crown region and the rearward crown region and extending from the heel to the toe, the recessed feature having a substantially planar floor; and 
 a secondary recessed feature extending from the primary recessed feature toward the rear of the club head. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein a maximum lower breadth dimension of the primary recessed feature ranges from 10 mm to 50 mm. 
     
     
       3. The golf club head according to  claim 2 , wherein a width of the secondary recessed feature is within 30% of the maximum lower breadth dimension. 
     
     
       4. The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein a width of the secondary recessed feature ranges from 10 mm to 60 mm. 
     
     
       5. The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein a maximum upper breadth dimension of the primary recessed feature ranges from 10 mm to 70 mm. 
     
     
       6. The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein the primary recessed feature further comprises a front wall extending upward from the substantially planar floor to the forward crown region and a back wall extending upward from the from the substantially planar floor to the rearward crown region. 
     
     
       7. The golf club head according to  claim 6 , wherein a maximum height dimension of the front wall ranges from 10 mm to 60 mm. 
     
     
       8. The golf club head according to  claim 6 , wherein a maximum height dimension of the back wall ranges from 5 mm to 50 mm. 
     
     
       9. A golf club head for a metal wood type club, the club head comprising:
 a ball striking face, a heel, a toe, a rear, and a crown, 
 the crown including:
 a forward crown region extending rearwardly from the ball striking face; 
 a primary recessed feature located rearwardly of the forward crown region and extending from the heel to the toe; and 
 a secondary recessed feature extending from the primary recessed feature to the rear of the club head, 
 
 wherein a front upper edge of the primary recessed feature, when viewed from above, has a substantially chevron-shaped profile pointed rearwardly. 
 
     
     
       10. The golf club head according to  claim 9 , wherein the chevron-shaped profile is approximately centered on a centerline of the club head. 
     
     
       11. The golf club head according to  claim 9 , wherein a back upper edge of the primary recessed feature, when viewed from above, has a chevron-shaped profile pointed rearwardly. 
     
     
       12. The golf club head according to  claim 9 , wherein the primary recessed feature further comprises a floor, a front wall extending upward from the floor to the forward crown region and a back wall extending upward from the from the floor to the rearward crown region. 
     
     
       13. The golf club head according to  claim 12 , wherein a maximum height dimension of the front wall ranges from 10 mm to 60 mm. 
     
     
       14. The golf club head according to  claim 12 , wherein a maximum height dimension of the back wall ranges from 5 mm to 50 mm. 
     
     
       15. The golf club head according to  claim 9 , wherein the rearward crown region is formed as two regions. 
     
     
       16. A golf club head for a metal wood type club, the club head comprising:
 a ball striking face, a heel, a toe, a rear, and a crown, 
 the crown including:
 a forward crown region extending rearwardly from the ball striking face; 
 a primary recessed feature located rearwardly of the forward crown region and extending from the heel to the toe; and 
 a secondary recessed feature extending from the primary recessed feature to the rear of the club head, 
 
 wherein a heel-side of the forward crown region extends rearwardly by a first distance from the ball striking face to the primary recessed feature, 
 wherein a middle of the forward crown region extends rearwardly by a second distance from the ball striking face to the primary recessed feature, 
 wherein a toe-side of the forward crown region extends rearwardly by a third distance from the ball striking face to the primary recessed feature, and 
 wherein the second distance is greater than the first and the third distances. 
 
     
     
       17. The golf club head of  claim 16 , wherein a front upper edge of the primary recessed feature, when viewed from above, has a substantially chevron-shaped profile pointed rearwardly. 
     
     
       18. The golf club head of  claim 16 , wherein a front upper edge of the primary recessed feature, when viewed from above, has a rearward-facing convex profile. 
     
     
       19. The golf club head according to  claim 16 , wherein the primary recessed feature further comprises a floor, a front wall extending upward from the floor to the forward crown region and a back wall extending upward from the from the floor to the rearward crown region. 
     
     
       20. The golf club head according to  claim 19 , wherein at least a portion of the front wall has a rearward slant, such that at least a portion of the forward crown region forms an overhang that extends over at least a portion of the floor of the primary recessed feature.